fitbit flex question

vpsmith14
vpsmith14 Posts: 71
in Health and Weight Loss
I bought my fitbit tonight and I am completely confused. Would I still wear my HRM while working out or is this enough? Also, I downloaded the app for my phone so do I still need to use the syncing thingy that plugs into my computer or can I pull it out? (not enough ports) Also, does the fitbit count calories during my sleep too? How does it work exactly?

Replies

  • lilbearzmom
    lilbearzmom Posts: 600 Member
    It's not an HRM. It's a high-tech pedometer basically. I have one and I really like it. It tracks my activity (steps) and syncs with MFP to give me an adjusted calorie count based on that activity. It has really helped me move more.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    There are some good manuals and FAQs (I think) on the Fitbit site. Yes, it 'counts' calories in your sleep. It doesn't actually count them, it assigns BMR calories across the day and calories it estimates from your activity level. If your workout is steps-based (walking, running, dancing, aerobics, some ellipticals), you can just use the Fitbit's calorie estimate and skip the HRM. If your workout is resistance or cycling, better to log it manually or use your HRM to log the calorie estimate it provides. If your phone synchs it, you don't have to keep the dongle in your PC. Not all phones are supported. They all show the mobile app but not all will synch from the device. How it works is via an accelerometer and programming and averages of calorie burns based on various activities tested from populations. Have you played Wii? It's like a Wii remote. If it detects your motion is most like a person running 6mph, it assigns a calorie value to the time it senses you doing that based on averages. It's basically applying a multiplier to your BMR level based on what activity it thinks you're doing.

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